Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
With the start of the New Year, many people set goals to work toward in the next year. Resolutions are made to be better in the next year than we have been in the past. These resolutions may be centered on our health, perhaps losing weight and getting into better shape. Sometimes these resolutions are centered on financial status; perhaps to pay off debt or work toward retirement.
These goals are usually accompanied by a plan of how to carry them out. Health plans typically include a food regimen and a weekly workout schedule to accomplish them. If you have the goal concerning a financial plan, it is usually paired with a budget that you keep to the letter. Often these goals focus only on ourselves. While it is good to focus on bettering ourselves, are there other goals we can work to accomplish in the next year?
What are ways that we can love our neighbor as ourselves? What if we had the goal to share our faith with someone? We can share the love that Jesus has for us with one another. We can share what has been given to us with our neighbor. Maybe this means looking for opportunities to share the Word of God with a friend at work. Maybe this means saying, “God Bless you” to the greeter at the big box store. We can look for these opportunities to witness.
As with health and financial goals, it helps to have a plan. We have been provided with valuable tools for the task we have been given. God gives us His Word to equip us for witness in the world. Daily reading of God’s Word prepares us to witness.
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
We can look for opportunities to always give witness to who Christ is and what He has done for us. As we celebrate His birth, His death on the cross and resurrection for us, we can have a plan to share the good news of what He did for us with others.
“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” Peter 3:15-16
In Christ’s Name,
Vicar Andrew Wolfgram